It will be appreciated that electrical fault detection is important in order to protect intrinsic electrical equipment as well as to avoid potential hazards with respect to electrocution, fires and potentially erroneous results. In some safety critical situations such as within aerospace applications it is important to provide fault detection efficiently and in view of the safety critical consequences of failure to rapidly detect a problem appropriately.
It is known to provide a busbar as an electrical distribution network so that a number of electrical devices and circuitry may take electrical power for their operation whilst electrical generators provide electrical power to the busbar. A busbar is essentially coupled to electrical circuitry in order to allow the circuitry to draw the necessary power from that busbar for their operation. In such circumstances if there is a fault in one of the devices or electrical circuits taking electrical power from the busbar or a fault in the busbar itself there can be problems with respect to excessive electrical current flows or potentially power or electrical distribution problems with respect to electrical power distribution. Problems with an electrical generator supplying the busbar may create difficulties and instability in the electrical distribution network.
The traditional solution of individually hardwiring each electrical circuitry device results in complex wiring looms and particularly in situations such as aerospace applications can significantly add to weight and power loss. Thus, safe and efficient provision of busbar operation is desirable.